Sadiq Khan slammed for failure to tackle 'knife crime arms race' after stabbing of 15-year-old girl
Sadiq Khan has been criticised for his failure to tackle a "knife crime arms race"
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Sadiq Khan has been criticised for his alleged failure to tackle a "knife crime arms race" in London after 15-year-old Eliyanna Andam was stabbed to death yesterday.
Shaun Bailey, a London Assembly member and Conservative peer, told GB News that Khan has "let knife crime creep cack up after lockdown", accusing him of "resting on his laurels".
Knife crime in the capital surged by 16 per cent in just one year to the end of March 2023.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that 12,786 knife offences were carried out in the 12 month period.
WATCH NOW: Lisa Hartle reports on the stabbing of a 15-year-old girl
The year before saw 11,031 knife offences committed, marking an increase of 16 per cent between the two years.
Andam was stabbed to death outside a bus on her way to school yesterday in Croydon.
Speaking to GB News about the tragic incident, Bailey said: "My heart goes out to the friends and family of that girl.
"The Mayor has let knife crime creep back up after lockdown. He rested on his laurels.
"It was an opportunity to be more visible among young people, with enforcement and education, saying to people: 'Here's how to keep yourself safe.'"
He also called for Khan to put pressure on the Metropolitan police to stop posting pictures of confiscated knives on social media, saying it is "driving a knife crime arms race".
Bailey explained: "He needs to lean on the Met Police harder because they need to stop that.
"Those pictures are driving a knife crime arms race. Young people see a picture of a knife and think: 'I want a bigger one'. These pictures are driving an arms race."
The former mayoral candidate called for Khan to provide a "much more definite message about knife crime".
He added: "He's done all the nice things as mayor, but what are you going to do about the tons of weapons on the streets of London? How are you going to get knife crime down?
"The two record years for knife crime have been under Sadiq Khan.
"This is because he tried to force the police to stop doing stop and search - instead of trying to do it better.
"The public wants to hear a very clear message about how he's going to get those weapons off the streets and drive down knife crime."
London mayoral candidate Susan Hall told GB News: "This is truly awful.
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Shaun Bailey, a London Assembly member and Conservative peer, told GB News that Khan has "let knife crime creep cack up after lockdown"
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"A young girl making her way to school has lost her life in the most horrific circumstances.
"I cannot imagine what her friends and family are going through right now and my thoughts are with them."